Tua Tagovailoa to Falcons: Atlanta’s updated QB depth chart for the 2026 NFL season

According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Tua Tagovailoa‘s next chapter in the NFL will be on the Atlanta Falcons on a one-year deal. This puts the team in a very peculiar position regarding their QB1.

The Falcons QB depth chart now have Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa. Both are left-handed and injury prone. So it’s a weird circumstance, given that they have the same skill set and throwing arm, yet they also have the same worrying condition of not being highly durable.

Now, it will remain to be seen if the Falcons decide to trade Penix, who was a first-round pick two years ago. The other option is to have an open battle for QB1 and let new head coach Kevin Stefanski determine who will get the starting job.

Penix vs Tagovailoa does give a deciding winner

While both struggled last year, and even got the same passer rating, Tua is just a more polished passer of the football. However, he might be more reckless too (as you can see below with the INTs numbers). Simply put, the upside is with Tua, as he is more accurate and experienced.

Penix doesn’t look like a QB to take a team into new heights. Tua might not be as highly regarded as he once was, but he is a Pro Bowler that has led the NFL in passer rating (2022), passing yards (2023), and completion percentage (2024). Penix hasn’t shown that level to his game.

see also

Dolphins release Tua Tagovailoa: How much money does Miami still owe the QB?

Stefanski is once again having to settle with a QB

Stefanski has won the Coach of the Year award twice, but he has never been able to have a stable QB situation. First, he got the worst version of Baker Mayfield. Then, he’s been through the likes of Joe Flacco, Deshaun Watson, Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders. Now, he will have another QB battle between Penix and Tagovailoa.